This study was carried out to select new pelleting binder and material for seeds from Fraxinus rhynchophylla Hance and Alnus sibirica Fisch. ex Turcz. The optimum treatments of the various concentrations and species of priming agents to improve seed germination of both woody medicinal plants were also estimated. Germinability was increased when the seeds of Fraxinus rhynchophylla Hance was soaked in -1.0 MPa of PEG6000 solution at 15℃ for 4 days significantly, the optimum treatment for improving germination of Alnus sibirica Fisch. ex Turcz was observed when the tested seeds was soaked in 100 mM of KCl at 15℃ for 4 days. The influence of physical and chemical properties of pelleting solid materials, the mixture of gypsum, diatomaceous earth, dalma ceramic and vermicuolite (6:1:1:1 ratio) were found as the best pelleting materials for Fraxinus rhynchophylla Hance and Alnus sibirica Fisch. ex Turcz. seeds. To satisfy the requirements of absorption and compatibility for multi-layer seed pelleting, SGPA (Starch-grafted cross-linked polyacrylates) hydrogel was prepared using starch, acrylonitrile, ceric ammonium nitrate, nitric acid, methyl alcohol and potassium hydroxide. The resulting SGPA hydrogel showed high water absorption but not plant compatibility. It suggested that seed pelleting using pelleting materials and SGPA hydrogel (multi-layer coating) after priming agent treatment is to increase germinability and seedling growth and it can reduced irrigation labours and can also save seed.

This study was carried out to select the appropriate medium (especially, carbon and nitrogen source, potassium phosphate and pH) for somatic embryogenesis in order to develop the rapid mass production system in suspension culture of Oplopanax elatus Nakai. Direct somatic embryos were obtained from root explants in the hormone free suspension culture (MS). Combination of NH4NO3 and KNO3 at the ratio of 1650 (mg/l) : 1900 (mg/l) obtained the better result to produce somatic embryo in suspension culture. MS medium supplemented with 170mg/l KH2PO4. The addition of 1 and 3% sucrose was effective for formation of embryogenic callus. Therefore, this report will be helped to improve the establishment for suspension culture in Oplopanax elatus Nakai.

This study was conducted to determine the contents of phenolic compounds and astragalosides in Astragalus membranaceus. Between the phenolic compound groups, flavonoids compounds (51.13%) had higher average concentrations than the phenolic acids groups. Among the 30 phenolic compounds, quercetin (353.11μg g-1) provided the highest concentrations. According to different cultivation year, 3-year-cultivated Astragalus (2612.57μg g-1) showed the highest concentrations of phenolic compounds. According to different harvest days, 6/5 harvesting Astragalus (2615.80μg g-1) showed the highest concentrations of phenolic acids. Comparison between the top and subterranean parts of harvested Astragalus plants cultivated for 2 years, 3 years, and 5 years showed big difference of total phenolic compounds in concentrations. Further, the top part had higher amounts of the total phenolic compounds than the subterranean part among all Astragalus. This tendency was similar to those of the top root and lateral root. The concentration of the phenolic compounds in the top root was higher than that of the lateral root.